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Woman of the Dunes (15) [35mm]

Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum Presents..

,Cinema 3
A woman and a man lay in sand dunes together.

Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Woman of the Dunes (1964) is a haunting existential drama that delves into the primal struggle for survival, identity, and freedom, screened on 35mm. 

The film follows an entomologist (Eiji Okada) who, while on a research trip, becomes trapped in a remote desert village, forced to help a woman (Kyōko Kishida) endlessly shovel sand to prevent their home from being buried. 

Teshigahara’s stark visuals and avant-garde style amplify the oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere, turning the vast desert landscape into an allegory for the human condition—one of entrapment, desire, and the cyclical nature of life.

Screened in conjunction with Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum’s It Will End in Tears, Woman in the Dunes shares a thematic resonance with the exhibition’s exploration of isolation, time, and the body’s relationship to its environment.

Tagged with: Cinema Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum Presents

1965 Japan dir Hiroshi Teshigahara 124 min

Like Sunstrum’s work, the film grapples with the paradox of endless labor and the passage of time, revealing the tensions between freedom and obligation, intimacy and alienation. 

The hypnotic and surreal atmosphere of Woman in the Dunes echoes Sunstrum’s own meditations on resilience and the delicate boundaries between connection and separation.

Cinema 3

Location
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you across the road to the venue. 

Address
Beech Street
London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.